I completely understand why this won the Pulitzer.

Critics unreservedly praise Stevens's and Swan's opus as a masterpiece in art writing, a landmark biography, and a fascinating look at early 20th-century New York. Several laud the writers' meticulous research and eloquent style, and most appreciate the balance with which the authors explore de Kooning's more human aspects, such as chronic infidelity and probable Alzheimer's Disease. Reviewers single out this tome as a gripping read for both fans of the painter and the uninitiated.

This is an excerpt from a review published in Bookmarks magazine.

Close, but no cigar.

this book serves its purpose. it's a biography. i think the writing is pretty average, but i also don't read a lot of biographies (basically none at all) so i don't know what the standard is. but... it's a fairly engrossing saga of de kooning's life drama. feels pretty satisfying to know about his life in such depth. i've been reading it for so long, and now that it's finished i'm going through withdrawal. overall, i wouldn't say it's required reading, but worthwhile bedside reading.

This comprehensive biography of de Kooning was quite simply a pleasure to read. I feel as though reading this book has encouraged me to approach de Kooning's art more critically, and with greater enjoyment.

Excellent biography of the late Dutch-American painter, which explores his life and artists philosophies in great detail. What I especially liked was the discussions of his painting techniques, which are often not covered in these sorts of books. Overall one of the better artist's biographies I've ever read. (Would give it four and a half stars if I could).

the information was quite good. needed better editing in my opinion. i find the artist most interesting and so i enjoyed the read from that perspective. i didn't read from start to finish but snooped around at what i liked.

Long and meticulously detailed, even boring at times, but absolutely essential for understanding 20th century American art.

Loved this!
It made me want to forget his life, remember his pictures. I must see the MOMA retrospective!


1. At the end of section 1 -- Holland -- I am disgusted with 22-year-old de Kooning. He stowed away on a ship bound for America without saying goodbye to his mother! or father (they lived apart). or the big sister who supported him in so many ways. Ingrate!
2. de Kooning quickly found work (interior design) & women (first one, then another, then another... sometimes all in same bed). After 15 years in NYC, the Nazis blast his hometown of Rotterdam & de K doesn't learn the fate of his family until after the war. He quits fulltime work for single-minded painting in his oh-so-clean cold water loft. I still don't like him.
3. Help! I'm cleaning like a Dutch housewife. Elaine won't do it. She's self-centered, & so is de K. Passion is seeping out of their marriage; de K is getting depressed. He talks with kindred artists, & swoops cheap black & white house enamel onto his canvas. He destroys much, but continues developing what turns out to be the peak American art of his time. It is the '50s. He gets famous, but he's still poor. Every now & then, like when he was arrested for being nude (& drunk) on the beach, de K worries that he is not a citizen. Today this quintessential American artist would be sent back to Holland.
4. He's hit his stride -- showing, selling, & thinking he's best. Many agree, especially after Jackson Pollock died. But de K is sliding into alcoholism. He's tortured. (p. 420). I like how he refuses to paint what worked, always stretching, seeking. Unfortunately, younger painters say he's a has-been. Hardly.
5. And so he dies.

Second best bio that I've read.

This is certainly an informative read and I would recommend it to anyone who is a fan of de Kooning's work. That said, it needs to be taken with a grain of salt. I found the writers jumping to several conclusions and making a lot of inferences (mostly regarding his relationships and emotions) without anything to back them up. (i.e. - "Though he never said so, it may have been that de Kooning felt..." and we have a page or so of unconfirmed emotional turmoil.) Also, they seem to spend far more time providing biographies for others in his life, or even tangential to his realm of existence than necessary. Lastly, there are many grammar and spelling errors, and the writers seem to get themselves stuck on certain words and use them needlessly (the one that comes to mind most is 'milieu'). All in all, the editors did not do their job very well; the book should probably have been half its size, more relevant, less subjective, and more readable.

Although it is a long book, I enjoyed every page of it.